Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 356 Win/RL-15/Speer220FN

My rifle is the 94 AE and I've used BLC2, IMR 4064, and W748 with the Speer 220 FN. RL-15 seems to have the right burning rate for the 356, but I have not been able to find any load data for it. Has anyone worked up some loads using RL-15 with the 220 FN?
Thanks
Mike D.

rl-15 seems to be a popular powder in the .35 whelen but i couldnt find any data for the .356win. I dont know if RL is temperature insensitive but the Hodgdon extreme line is, you may want to try H322 43grs should get you around 2,310fps thats Layne Simpsons favorite load in the 356.

Dunno why it didn't work for me in the .358 but it produced low velocities. I thought the burn rate was about right, and anyway, it worked so well in all my other cartridges. It was a swing and a miss in any case... About 2000 fps for 250 gr bullets vs 2300+ for 4895/BLC2/H335 etc etc. Maybe a quickness thingy...

I agree that Reloader 15 just does not reach its balance point in the .356/.358.
My best results in the .356 with the 220 Speer were when the load was backed off just a little. 46.0 grains of Reloader 15 giving me 2253 fps with groups just under 2" at one hundred yards using an older Weaver V-3. This with CCI primers and Winchester .356 cases.
While playing with brass I found a sweet load for my Winchester using 50.0 grains of Varget. This load giving 2365 fps from the .358 Winchester case. these loaded to 2.550 to work through my Model 94 action.
I obtain higher velocity and better accuracy in the .356 with powders that are a little faster. Two very good loads with the 220 Speer are 39.0 grain of Hodgdon 4198 for 2364 fps and 46.0 grains of IMR 4895 for 2316 fps. Dont overlook Hodgdons Benchmark and 322 for this case. I have stopped using the 220 Speer in the .356/.358 as the bullet is too tough for our little Texas whitetail deer, the bullet just beginning to show expansion as it exits. I had wondered if the increased resistance of the 250 grain bullet would make a difference with Varget and Reloader 15. nice to know that it probably will not.
Reloader 15 really delivers in the .307 and the .30-30AI. Both cartridges getting top velocities with good accuracy. Hodgdons Varget trails by 50 to 75 fps in velocity with top loads but delivers just a little better accuracy in these two "super" .30's.

[Edit - As soon as I hit enter realised I should have mentioned case capacity issues. With the COAL at 2.550" to allow the ammunition to feed from the magazine you run out of room with the powders in the IMR 4064 class and slower. Evene with the faster powders you are going to have compressed charges in the .356. -Edit]

Slim

I use varget in my .358 win BLR with the 200gr Hornady spire point, 51grs is max and its compressed. The nice thing about varget is that its one of Hodgdon's Extreme powders which is temperature insensitive and it burns very clean.

Basically you can think of Varget as a short cut IMR 4064, though it is a little faster in its burning rate.XMR 4064 is also a short cut version of IMR4064 but its burning rate is a little slower. My BLR also shot very well with IMR 4064 and the 200gr S.P. sub MOA but so did Varget, so varget won out. The 225gr Sierra B.T. also shot sub MOA with 4064 so it and its brothers are a very good burn rate for the .358 case.

I've been told that the best powder for the .358 win is Ramshots Exterminator but i cant find it around in N.J. and i have too much good powder on hand to pay the 20 dollar haz/mat fee, but i will eventually try it.

You may want to try the 180gr Speer F.P. for your deer it should run faster and expand better than the 220gr. I would love to load up the 180gr Barnes X but i dont feel that it is necessary for deer or black bear. Good luck with your .356 its a very good cartridge as is its brother the .358 win.

Mike

Having tired just about everything in my 94AE I settled on H4895 with either the 180 or 220 Speers. The 180's shoot a little better, with less recoil, so I load them for deer. I save the 220's for bear.

WN